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American officials state their military operation aimed at apprehending the South American nation's leader required many weeks of planning, but the moment Donald Trump issued the command to launch, "Operation Absolute Resolve" concluded after roughly 150 minutes.

The surprise pre-dawn attack on Saturday represented an unprecedented incident in modern politics and led directly to the arrest of Venezuela's president and his wife, Cilia Flores de Maduro.

Apprehended by troops belonging to a top-tier American military force while they attempted to escape into a fortified safe room, the couple are currently in custody in a detention centre within New York City and are confronting drug trafficking and terrorism accusations.

The Early Morning Raid on Fuerte Tiuna

With daybreak on Saturday, the scale of the military operation in Caracas, the nation's capital, was evident.

Photographs from the vast military base, an enormous military complex in which top government officials reside, depict bombed out structures as well as burned, smoking cars.

It was at this compound where Maduro and his wife were apprehended, a senior political figure a party official indicated.

Hours Before - Trump Gives the Order

"Operation Absolute Resolve" started with reports of blasts around 02:00 local time (06:00 GMT).

American forces disabled electricity across the capital, the President has since said, describing it as pitch black and dangerous.

The goal was to disable the nation's air defences and open up the way for US military helicopters to reach Fuerte Tiuna.

Our evaluation was that we successfully kept totally the advantage of surprise," a senior military officer remarked.

Strike locations encompassed the compound, a maritime facility and an airfield. Images show the complex engulfed in flames, with massive fires visible for miles.

Residents have described how US military helicopters flew low above the city, en route to Fuerte Tiuna.

Some of the helicopters were shot at, but were still able to fly, military leaders stated.

"It was a lot of weapons fire," the President added.

The Lightning-Fast On-the-Ground Operation

Once on the ground, troops from the US Army's Delta Force, sprang into action.

They entered the facility just after 2 AM local time, and the Maduros surrendered without a struggle, as per reports.

But, more details were provided. They tried to escape into a secure location, referred to as a military "fortress".

"The safe place was constructed of steel, and he failed to get to the door because our guys were so fast.

It featured an extremely heavy entryway, a very heavy door," the President informed the media. "He made it to the door. He could not to close it."

But even if they had succeeded to enter the safe room, troops could have blown it open in about "47 seconds".

From Caracas to New York City

Currently under American detention, the couple were moved some 3,400 kilometers, to Manhattan.

They were taken by air from the capital via chopper, and taken to the USS Iwo Jima, a naval vessel stationed in the Caribbean. The team was completed "over the water" before 4:30 AM.

It was on the ship that one of the defining pictures of the whole operation emerged - the president shackled, wearing ear protectors and darkened eyewear resembling opaque glasses.

After leaving the ship, he was first flown at the American naval installation in Cuba.

The Maduros then traveled via official aircraft to a military airfield in New York, before a final helicopter transfer to Manhattan.

Confronting Justice in US Territory

On Saturday, footage emerged depicting Maduro inside the Drug Enforcement Agency's (DEA) main office in New York.

The couple are presently being held at a federal holding facility within the city.

They have been charged with planning narco-terrorism and import cocaine, owning automatic weapons and destructive devices, and plots to acquire such weapons and bombs to use against America.

"They will soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil within US courtrooms," the Attorney General proclaimed.

Video documents Maduro's arrival into American and transport to detention.